[table][row][color=#2e2c2c][sup][h3][b] ▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅[right]▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅[/right] [/b][/h3][/sup][/color][/row][row][cell][sup][h2][color=black]NATALIE MILLER[/color][/h2][/sup] [sub][sub][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Tl2A73Q.gif[/img] [/center][/sub][/sub] [sup][color=black][b]█ [sup] [/sup]act one: way down we go [/b][/color][/sup][indent][sup][color=a9a9a9]p. johnson's [color=black]▸[/color] Ritman High [Football Field] Interacting with [@Benzaiten][@udonoodles][@Rockette][@Aeolian] [/color][/sup][/indent][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/824488408562794527/970459343667494932/unknown.png[/img][/center][sub][color=#2e2c2c]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sub][/cell][cell][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/824488408562794527/967592442486460476/unknown.png[/img][/center][indent] [color=gray][sub] The moment came sooner than she had expected. Nervousness was a bit alien to Natalie, only ever being plagued by it on rare occasions, but it hit like a truck when she saw [i]her[/i]. Blood began to circulate throughout Natalie's frame with excitement. Her palms and the usual suspect areas became warm and slightly damp. The flow of air in and out of her lungs shifted rhythm. Natalie had to admit to herself that it was [i]nice[/i] to see her again. The girl looked about the same with a few adjustments here and there. Even if Melanie was a pretty face, Natalie had somewhat stopped nitpicking about superfluous things of physical appearance. She had been so unbelievably obsessed and fanatical about it in the past that it had completely fried her brain to the point of having a hard reset. Although she was still rather harsh on herself, at least nasty comments towards others had stopped a few years ago. "[color=1a1a1a][b]Right on time, as always.[/b][/color]" Natalie said with a genuine but dumb-looking smile on her lips, and not one of those awfully fake ones that she puts on most of the time. "[color=1a1a1a][b]Ah, man.[/b][/color]" She exhaled with an audible puff and quickly fanned her eyes with her hands to dry them out before embracing Melanie. "[color=1a1a1a][b]I'm getting all soft on you here, fuck.[/b][/color]" She said with soft tones into the girl's ear as they took to each other. Natalie patted her lower eyelids with her index fingers so as not to get all runny after having let go of the old [i]flame[/i]. "[color=1a1a1a][b]I didn't realize I'd get this soggy from this moment.[/b][/color]" She chuckled, remaining next to Melanie. This reaction was totally out of Natalie's wildest imagination, completely by surprise. The memory of Melanie had clearly burrowed its roots deep into her mind and worked its magic. [color=64404e][i]I hope she doesn't think I've become all weird and shit. I'll just chalk it up to a lot of change and working on myself... wait a second, why the fuck do I care? You care about Mel, don't you? I do, I guess. So, just go with it.[/i][/color] Natalie's thoughts wandered. Familiar faces began to reveal themselves one after another. Natalie was a bit struck by Marco's cane, though. Being in the dark about what had happened to him felt somewhat restrictive, or it had a sense of powerlessness to it. Even if Natalie surely was prepared to help him with whatever now, perhaps the answer had not been as straightforward back then, even if she wanted it to. "[color=1a1a1a][b]Marco.[/b][/color]" Natalie smiled, still standing next to Melanie. "[color=1a1a1a][b]Stil there, ugly as ever.[/b][/color]" She chuckled at Marco's comment about the magpie monstrosity. The moment led to a rather wild roller coaster ride of being completely blown out of the water and dumbfounded by Samuel's arrival. Natalie's first impression was that this guy was lost or a friend of someone that did not attend Ritman. He was a hell of a looker, too, sporting that [i]dark triad[/i] aesthetic to perfection. However, the real shocker came when he revealed who he was. "[color=1a1a1a][b]No. Fucking. Way.[/b][/color]" Natalie almost exclaimed, mouth wide open and staring at the man. "[color=1a1a1a][b]Chubby Cheeks, that you?[/b][/color]" She caught herself right away. "[color=1a1a1a][b]Oh fuck, I didn't mean to say that—I'm [i]so[/i] sorry![/b][/color]" Her expression changed to apologetic real fast. It was an honest mistake, bad muscle memory and difficult to get rid of. [color=64404e][i]Two seconds and you've already fucked it all up. Good job, Nat, you fucking raging whore.[/i][/color] She scolded herself inside. Luckily, Natalie was somewhat saved by Oleander's entrance. The guy practically had rainbow laser beams shooting out his eyes with sprinkles and glitter exploding everywhere, an intense presence. This was the guy that Natalie could not quite place but assumed she had seen at the school at some point. Natalie offered him a smile and halfway embrace after having greeted Melanie. It was a bit awkward, nobody was going to deny that, but Natalie was determined to get to know him and find out what sort of character he was now and had been in the pecking order. At least there was one other person that could not keep their shit together, tearing up and making a mess of themselves. Natalie was rather excited about this Oleander, though, having met more than a handful of outrageously flamboyant men since Ritman. They were almost always good company. [/sub][/color][/indent] [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/824488408562794527/967592442486460476/unknown.png[/img][/center][sup][color=#2e2c2c]▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔[/color][/sup][/cell][/row][/table]